Aftermath
by BBC Addict
Summary: AU, set after events of X2. Borrows from X3. What might have happened.
1. Chapter 1

Rogue, only the tiniest bit awake, heard a door close, followed by the sound of a motorcycle taking off. _Logan must be running again_, she thought to herself. As she settled back into the queen size bed, she felt only empty space next to her, and she realized that it wasn't Logan who had just taken off. It was Scott.

* * *

"Professor?"

"Yes, Rogue, come in." Charles Xavier mentally shook himself, clearing his head of thoughts of Jean.

Rogue entered, slowly, closing the door behind her. She sat in one of the chairs facing the professor's desk.

"I've been meaning to talk to you, Rogue," he began, wheeling from behind his desk to a position next to her, "about working on controlling your mutation."

"Controlling it? Is that possible?"

"I'm not quite sure yet. I'd like to spend some time working with you and have Dr. McCoy run some tests. Then we'll have a better idea how your power works."

Rogue just stared at Xavier.

"It's something I really should have done right after you got here, but with everything that happened, I just kept putting it off. But now, we need every X-Man we have to be at his or her best."

Rogue nodded.

"If it's alright with you, I'd like to begin immediately."

Rogue nodded again. Charles wheeled out of his office and Rogue walked by his side all the way down to the medlab.

Hank instructed Rogue to lie down and hooked her up to a variety of machines while the Professor stationed himself at her head and leaned slightly forward with his hands a few inches away from her temples. "This may get a bit personal, Rogue," he said.

"It's ok, Professor. I want to control this if I can, even if it means you poking around in my head." She closed her eyes and tried to relax. It was difficult, considering she was in a stark white room that smelled like medicine and disinfectant and that she was excited by the possibility of controlling her power.

"Rogue," the Professor's voice interrupted, "please, stop thinking so much. This will be much easier for both of us if you just let me work."

"I'll try," she replied.

* * *

A few days later, she met with Hank and the professor again. Hank had many papers with numbers and graphs and charts on them. Rogue tried to listen to his explanations, but she didn't understand most of what he was saying. Sensing this, the Professor broke in. "What Hank is saying, Rogue, is that your power is underdeveloped. After its first manifestation, your subconscious mind tried to block it up, but all it really managed to do was make your power more dangerous. With time and effort, we think that your power will finish developing properly and that you will be able to control it."

Rogue smiled.

* * *

"We need to contain all these personalities in your head, Rogue. Either I can do it, or you can choose to absorb my power and learn to contain them yourself."

"So you're saying either I rely on you or on myself."

The Professor nodded.

"Well," said Rogue, talking it out, "if I let you do it, what happens the next time I touch someone? I'd have to wait for you. If I take your power, I'll be able to do it myself and then whenever I touch someone I can put them in their box right away. I think the choice is obvious, Professor." She stretched her hand out. The Professor's hand met hers halfway.

"Rogue, concentrate, focus all your efforts on taking only the telepathy," the Professor said in a low voice.

Rogue closed her eyes and scrunched up her face in concentration. She kept repeating to herself 'only the mutation, take only the mutation.' She felt the power flowing from Charles into her. Soon, but not as soon as she expected, she caught flashes of memories that weren't hers and she pulled her hand away.

"You did well, Rogue," the Professor said. "You were able to isolate what you took, even though it was only for a short time. With more practice, it should become second nature to take only what you need, only when you want to."

"Thanks," Rogue said weakly. She was exhausted from concentrating so hard.

The Professor waited a moment for Rogue to put her gloves back on and then took her hand. "I want you to know that I admire you, Rogue. You are a remarkable young woman. Not many people could cope with all those voices in their head clamoring for control."

Rogue gave him a shy smile. "Thank you, Professor." As Rogue left his office, she reflected on his words. Rogue had always felt like an outcast at best and useless at worst. Especially at Alkali Lake. She's barely managed to land the jet and though by doing so she had brought the X-Men the means of escape, she'd also caused the jet to malfunction, ultimately leading to Jean's death. Rogue felt incredibly guilty and was always reminded of the fact by seeing both Logan and Scott moping around the mansion. It felt good to hear the professor say he valued her.

* * *

Rogue was just heading into the kitchen to grab a snack before hitting the Danger Room. She heard a heavy tread coming down the stairs and knew exactly who it was and what it meant. She shook her head. She was tired of this. But she turned around and went out to the vestibule. She met Logan at the foot of the stairs. "You running again?" she asked.

"I can't be here," was his reply.

Rogue felt a tumult of emotions coursing through her, anger, resentment, sadness, neglect. She pushed them aside for the moment, composing herself. "Stay safe," she said.

"Thanks, kid," said Logan, a faint smile briefly lighting up his features. It quickly faded as he shouldered his bag and strode out the door.

Her snack forgotten, Rogue headed straight down to the Danger Room. Storm had each student working individually today, for which Rogue was grateful. She was able to forget everything else but her opponent. As she warmed up, she began seeing Logan in place of the automated sparring bot. She channeled her frustration and hurt and disappointment. The bot went down with a crash. Storm came over and studied the young girl. "That was…impressive, Rogue," she said.

Rogue glanced around the room. "I guess I must have been borrowing some of Logan's moves." She gave a humorless chuckle. _Borrowing Logan's skills while she was imagining beating the crap out of Logan. Nice._


	2. Chapter 2

Rogue sat in the memorial garden where Jean's headstone was. She didn't come to talk to Jean like the others did. She came because the garden somehow soothed her when she was angry, like now. She knew why Logan left, how he had been feeling (she had him in her head, after all) but Logan was being selfish. He couldn't see past his own loss to realize that everyone else was struggling, too. What really angered Rogue about Logan's running off, though, was that he had promised he would be there for her and now he wasn't. He was off licking his wounds while Rogue was left alone. She wasn't close to anyone at the school except Bobby, and she and Bobby weren't together anymore. Despite her gaining control of her power and building her self-confidence with it, Bobby couldn't focus on her with new girls arriving for the new school year. The Professor and Storm were there, of course, but they were so busy now with Logan gone and Scott a mess.

Rogue sat on the bench with her knees pulled up, resting her forehead on them. She heard someone approach and sit on the bench, not right next to her, but not too far away.

"Don't you have somewhere you're supposed to be?"

Recognizing Scott's voice, Rogue felt something inside snap and lifted her head. "Probably. Don't you?" she retorted.

"What do you mean?" Scott said defensively.

"Why is it ok for you to ignore all your responsibilities but not for me?"

Scott didn't have an answer to that, so he stared at the ground and remained silent.

Rogue was content to leave it at that for a few moments, but something welled up inside her and she couldn't hold it back. She didn't face Scott as she spoke. "I know, you lost the woman you loved. But you don't get to act like the rest of us haven't lost someone important to us. In fact, we're worse off than you."

"How could you possibly be worse off?"

"We've lost three people."

"What?"

"Jean. Logan. You."

"I'm still here."

"Yeah, sure," she said, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "You're her,e but Storm has to cover your classes. You're her,e but we've had to run Danger Room sessions by ourselves because you didn't show up. You're here, but the students don't even bother speaking to you anymore because you ignore them or you snap at them."

Scott didn't reply for a long time. Finally, he let out a long sigh. "It's just hard," he began.

"I know. But it's been months, Scott. You just sit out here and mope all the time, like a coward."

They fell silent again as Scott digested her words. Finally, he stood. "Come on, Rogue, I'll walk you to class."

* * *

A few days later, Rogue, Bobby, Piotr, Kitty, Warren, and Kurt were suiting up for their daily Danger Room session. Rogue was ready first and was waiting for others when she saw Scott enter. She eyed him carefully, noting that he'd finally shaved and wasn't wearing days-old clothes. She nodded at him. "Scott."

"Rogue." He nodded back.

The other students came out, chattering and laughing. Once they saw Scott, however, the chatter died down and they exchanged uneasy glances.

Scott felt as uncomfortable as they looked, but he squared his shoulders, cleared his throat, and spoke. "I understand you've been running some simulations. I'd like to see how you're doing."

Rogue stepped up. "Program 1-1 C," she commanded. The students took their places and readied themselves. As the simulation began, Scott stood back and studied the students. He noticed many changes since he'd been there last. Bobby didn't need to be told every last move to make. Kurt didn't wait for permission for teleport someone to safety. Warren was a new student, he didn't know him well. Piotr was more protective of Kitty than he'd been before. Rogue had changed the most. She was the one the others were looking to for direction.

As the simulation wrapped up, Rogue looked at Scott. "Impressed?" she asked.

"Very," he said. "You all have improved a lot since…" he trailed off.

"Thank master sergeant Rogue for that," Warren piped up. "She's the one who got us all back in here and training so hard. She even convinced the professor and Storm that we could do this without one of them here all the time."

Scott didn't say anything, but he was very impressed indeed. With Rogue. She'd chewed his head off and she knew what she was talking about, too. She'd lost people, but here she was, stepping up, picking up slack, _his_ slack in this case. Suddenly he realized he'd been quiet for a long time. "Well, everyone, in honor of my first day back, why don't we call it a day. We'll step it up tomorrow."

Everyone cheered and hurried to change out of their uniforms and enjoy the rest of their unexpectedly free day. Rogue lingered a moment. "It's good to have you back, Professor Summers," she said with an impish grin.

"I see graduated Rogue has some attitude that will take some getting used to," he said with a smile.

"Oh, yeah," she agreed. "See you later."

* * *

All day the mansion had been filled with the sounds of giggling and shrieking girls running back and forth and up and down dealing with crisis after crisis. It was the day of the countywide formal dance. Finally, the noise died down as the students departed, some just to watch the goings-on and others to party the night away.

Scott had been left in charge of the remaining students, the ones too young to stay out late. They had early bedtimes and were all safely out of the way by eight o'clock. Scott was prepared for a night to himself, so he was quite startled when he heard sound blaring out of the TV room. He poked his head in only to see Rogue curled up on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn, a glass of iced tea, and a box of tissues. As the opening music played, he asked, "Rogue? What are you doing?"

She turned to him and said, "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm watching a movie."

"I thought everyone except the younglings were going to the dance."

"Obviously, I didn't go. I'm a big girl now, I can make my own choices."

"What are you watching?" he asked, his attention caught by the difference between the imagery and the music.

"Moulin Rouge," she said impatiently. "Now, you can either stay and shut up, or leave. Make up your mind."

Scott settled himself down on the other end of the sofa. Rogue scooted her feet out of the way and draped a blanket over herself. During the movie, Rogue stole glances at Scott and was amused by the expressions on his face. He clearly didn't appreciate the movie. As the movie neared the end, Rogue again glanced at Scott. She wasn't entirely surprised to see tears. She grabbed a tissue herself as the end credits began. As she stood and began clearing up, she noticed Scott was still crying. Rogue knew that Scott hadn't broken down since they left Jean behind at Alkali Lake. He'd been depressed ever since, isolating himself, but he hadn't let himself cry. She set the bowl and glass back down and sat next to Scott on the sofa. She wrapped one arm around his shoulders. At first he half-heartedly resisted, but after a few seconds he turned and laid his head on Rogue's shoulder and cried. After a few minutes, he reached for the tissues and, removing his tinted glasses, carefully wiped his eyes. "Thank you, Rogue," he said.

She gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze and said, "Anytime." She stood and once again gathered up the dishes and took them out to the kitchen. After leaving her things in the sink, she stood, massaging her neck, wondering what to do next. She felt a cool breeze drift in through the windows and that made up her mind. She went outside to the large patio and laid on the large swing the professor had bought just for her. Propping her head on the pillow crammed against the arm, she let one leg dangle over the edge so she could give herself a push when she needed it.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been outside, but Scott eventually followed her and joined her on the swing. He took a swig of the bottle in his hand. Rogue gazed at him. "A gentleman doesn't drink in front of a lady."

"Want me to leave?"

"No." She sighed. "You know, Logan would've offered me a beer, too."

Scott held out the bottle to her. "Just a sip," he warned.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked, taking the bottle.

"One good turn deserves another. Besides, Logan's stash is about to expire."

"Stealing Logan's beer?"

"Why not? It's not like he's here to object."

"Amen to that," Rogue said, taking a second sip. She handed the bottle back.

"Do you miss him?" Scott asked after a long pause.

"I did, for a while. Then I realized something. If he can't at least attempt to beat the crap out of something, he can't handle his problems. I think that's why he was obsessed with Jean. In the back of his mind, he knew she wouldn't leave you, so flirting with her was safe. He could have the fun without having the problems. And that's why he ran, only problems left here." Rogue took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. "After Liberty Island, he promised that he would always be there when I needed him. Well, when I really needed him, he was gone. That's why I've been working so hard the with the Professor to control my skin. So I won't need anyone."

"Needing someone sucks," Scott agreed, taking another swig.

"Have you lost anyone before, Scott?" Rogue asked quietly.

He took a deep breath. "No. Not like this. People have gotten hurt, sometimes seriously, but none of the X-Men have died before."

"I didn't mean just the X-Men."

Scott stared blankly ahead. "I was pretty much raised here. I don't remember my biological family."

"You're lucky," Rogue said.

"Lucky that I didn't know my family?"

"No, not exactly. Lucky that you were raised with people who accepted you and loved you. My family wasn't like that. My dad was a mean drunk and my mom a spineless shadow of a woman. The best thing that happened to me was getting kicked out of that house."

"You were kicked out? Why?"

"When I was sixteen, I had my first boyfriend over. We were in my room, just talking about stuff, you know, what we wanted to do with our lives. I was describing my dream road trip and I got so excited about it. Cody took me by surprise and kissed me. It was my first kiss, so at first I thought the weird tingling was normal. But then Cody started shaking like crazy. He fell back onto my bed convulsing. I screamed and my parents came running up. After the ambulance came and took Cody away, my dad freaked out. He screamed horrible things at me and told me I had five minutes to pack my bag and get out. I lived on the road after that, making my way north. I made it up to a little town in Canada with the last of my money. I was sitting at the bar with a glass of water, wondering what I'd have to do to get more. Then the answer to my prayers sat down next to me. He was a big guy, just finished a cage fight. One of his opponents came up to him and started a fight, pulling a knife. This big guy just whipped some metal claws out of his hands and scared the crap out of everyone in the bar. Then he left. I ran out behind him and hid in his trailer. He found me and kicked me out, but then he stopped and waited for me to get in. Just a few minutes later, we hit a tree, he went sliding through the windshield, and there you and Storm were."

"I always thought you and Logan must have known each other longer than that considering the bond you had."

"It's amazing how close you get to someone when you have them permanently in your head," Rogue replied. "Somehow, he felt responsible for me. Not just for my safety. He felt like he'd taken my innocence away after I'd absorbed his memories. He never could believe that I have worse things in here."

"Worse than Logan's memories? What?"

She shook her head. "I don't wanna talk about it, Scott." She sighed.

Scott absently fingered the now empty bottle in his hand. "I don't quite know how to say this, Rogue, but I've never given you enough credit. I thought you were just another teen runaway with a crush on the guy who saved you. You're nothing like that at all. You're probably the strongest woman I know. You're sure stronger than me." He grabbed one of Rogue's hands with his free one and kissed it. "That's for being you," he said. He slowly stood up. "Good night, Rogue."

"My name's Marie," she said. "Good night, Scott."


	3. Chapter 3

Once Rogue had learned control of her skin, she and the Professor began working on accessing the powers she had previously absorbed. They had once thought that Rogue only kept the power of the last person she touched and only for a short amount of time, but as they worked, they discovered that Rogue kept the powers, just like she kept the memories and the personalities, the strength depending on how long she had held on. At first, the Professor and Rogue had gone into the Danger Room alone, making sure only the simulated machines would get hurt if something went wrong. Slowly they began allowing other people inside, one at a time. Finally, the whole team was in the Danger Room once again: Ororo, Scott, Rogue, Bobby, Kitty, Piotr, Warren, and Kurt. Everyone now had a healthy respect for Rogue in combat. They'd all learned the hard way that sparring with Rogue was like sparring with Logan, painful.

Being in control of her power had released Rogue from a prison she didn't know she'd been in. She began letting people get close to her. Her personality changed from that of an insecure introvert to a confident, outgoing, bubbly young woman.

Sometimes, she still thought about Logan, but now, she was just worried that he was alone. She half-hoped he'd stumble across another vulnerable teenage girl to draw him out of himself. She hoped he would return soon. He needed his family, whether he realized it or not.

"Rogue!" She started at the sound of her name. She turned toward the voice and smiled as Scott approached.

"Hey, sugar."

"Are you free this afternoon? I'm taking the biology students on a field study this afternoon while Storm initiates the newbies into the Danger Room and I'd appreciate an extra set of eyes. And the company," he added.

"I'd love to come," she replied.

After a few hours in the woods surrounding the mansion, Scott and Rogue began shepherding the students back home. It was nearly suppertime, so the students were eager to get back. Scott and Rogue lingered a little behind. Rogue tilted her head back to gaze up at the leftover daylight filtering through the treetops. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I love the smell of the woods," she sighed happily. "I don't think this could get any better."

Scott watched her bask in the fading light. After she had finished speaking, he waited a few moments, then quietly took her hand in his.

Rogue opened her eyes and looked down at her hand in Scott's. She smiled as she shifted it slightly, intertwining their fingers. "I guess I was wrong."

As they approached the mansion, they smelled the appealing odor of the grill. That meant one thing: barbecue. Scott grinned as he watched the smile spread across Rogue's face. Barbecue nights were her favorite.

After eating, the students were free to run around and do whatever they wanted until their curfews hit. The Professor, Hank, and Storm took turns shooing groups of students inside, based on age. Finally, the last students were inside. The other adults dispersed, beginning the long process of cleaning up. Rogue reluctantly left her seat and was heading to join Kitty when she felt Scott grab her wrist. "Wait," he said. He pulled her closer and slowly leaned down. Rogue, realizing what was happening, had a brief internal debate about whether or not to run. She closed her eyes and waited. Scott's lips touched hers.

"Rogue," called Kitty. "What are you-oh! Sorry! I'll just be over there." Kitty had never been so flustered in her life. She rushed back to her place on the lawn and resumed collecting whatever rubbish the students had dropped.

Scott and Rogue jumped slightly apart at the interruption. "I should go help Kitty," Rogue said.

"Yeah, I should…do something, too," Scott agreed. They turned a bit awkwardly and walked away. Scott couldn't help but turn and glance back at Rogue. She turned at the same instant and gave him a shy but inviting smile that seemed to say 'see you later.'

"Rogue! What was that?" Kitty demanded as soon as Rogue came over.

"What was what?" Rogue asked, trying to play innocent.

"Cut that out," Kitty said, lightly smacking Rogue's shoulder. "You know what I mean."

"Honestly, I don't really know what that was," Rogue replied. "It was kind of a surprise."

"Well, obviously it wasn't an unpleasant one," Kitty gushed. "You didn't smack him or suck the life out of him."

Rogue smiled. "No, not an unpleasant surprise at all."

Rogue and Kitty finally finished their clean-up. As Kitty crammed the last garbage bag into the dumpster, she said, "If I didn't have a date, I'd be demanding details. As it is, you and me are going to have a talk tomorrow." She closed the lid with a loud bang. "Have a good night's…sleep?" she said with a wicked grin.

"Get outta here, Kitty," Rogue said with a laugh.

Once Kitty had departed, Rogue made her way back to the patio. It wasn't late yet and it was a beautiful night. She was going to sit on the swing and enjoy it. And if she ran into Scott again, well, then, so be it. Upon reaching the patio, she saw that Scott must have had the same idea. He was reclining on the swing, one foot on the ground, gently rocking the swing back and forth.

"Hey stranger," she said quietly.

Scott smiled. "Hey," he returned. "You're not avoiding me. That's a good sign."

Rogue sat down. She looked at Scott. "I'm not really sure how to react," she told him.

"Do you wish I hadn't?"

"No," she said quickly.

They were both quiet as Scott continued to gently propel the swing. He took a deep breath. "I'm going to be honest with you, Marie. I haven't forgotten Jean. You can't ever forget someone you loved. I think you know that. But I have moved forward. And I want to keep moving forward, with you. I've fallen in love with you, Marie."

Rogue listened, biting her lip nervously. She tucked her behind her ears.

Scott looked at her. "You do that when you're nervous. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

She shook her head. "I am nervous," she said slowly, "it's the first time someone's ever said he loved me. Well, the first time someone's actually said it and meant it." A few tears slipped out.

"Please don't cry," Scott said worriedly.

"They're happy tears," she told him. "I love you, too, I just never let myself think about it before."

"Come here," Scott said. He gently pulled Rogue toward him, so that her head rested on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. They sat, gently swinging, for a long time.

* * *

Gossip spread quickly throughout the mansion that Scott and Rogue were a couple. The teen girls looked at Rogue enviously. The Professor, Storm, and Hank were very happy. The new teachers the Professor had brought in were interested, mostly because they thought Rogue was little young for Scott. "In years, maybe," the Professor had said when Emma expressed some concern, "but Rogue has several lifetimes of experience in her head. She's far more mature than anyone expects."

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry about the inconsistency of my chapters' lengths. I wrote this whole thing as one big document and now as I go through and proof it, I'm breaking it up where I hope it feels natural.**


	4. Chapter 4

Rogue and Scott were enjoying another evening on the swing, now nicknamed 'Scogue's Swing', due to the students having an obsession with the trend of combining couples' individual names into one ridiculous moniker. It was just about the time when they began thinking about heading inside for the night when Rogue suddenly sat up, listening intently. She gently placed a finger against Scott's lips, sensing he was about to ask what was wrong. She waited a few moments, then relaxed. "Nothing to worry about," she said. Scott was about to ask what she meant, but then he saw for himself.

"Logan," he said, standing up, his posture a tiny bit tense.

"Cyke," Logan replied. "Kid."

Rogue also stood. "It's good to see you again, Logan," she said, giving him a hug.

Logan hugged her back, all the while sensing Scott's discomfort. What's up with One-Eye, he thought. He decided not to think about. He was just glad to be home. As Logan headed up to his room, he overheard Rogue say to Scott, "Don't worry." Cyke's got nothing to worry about anymore. Jean's gone. Logan just shook his head and continued on his way.

Rogue had noticed Scott tense up upon seeing Logan. She knew he'd tensed up even more when she'd hugged Logan. So as soon as Logan left the patio, she turned to face him. "Don't worry," she said, looking him in the eye. She hugged him tightly. "This means everything to me," she said, making he sure he looked at her engagement ring. "You and I have something stronger than anything I ever had with Logan."

Scott hugged her back. "It's not you I'm worried about."

* * *

Logan sat alone in the mansion's kitchen, knocking back a beer. He really wanted another, but while he was at the school, he limited himself to only one. Which was all he had left, since someone had been helping themselves to his stock while he'd been gone.

Scott wandered in. "Hey, Logan."

"Cyke," Logan replied with a slight nod and another swig of beer.

Scott felt the silence grow awkward. "I'm off to the Danger Room. It's been awhile since you've been done there, if you're interested, you can come down and see the kids in action." He left quickly.

Logan finished his beer and stood up, stretching. It had been quite a while since he'd gotten a workout. Maybe taking a turn with the kids wouldn't be such a bad idea.

As Logan emerged from the locker-room, he shifted uncomfortably in the leather suit. He hadn't missed this. He grunted as he flexed and felt the leather tear in a few places. That was better.

"Logan!" Rogue greeted him with surprise. "I wasn't expecting you down here."

"Cyke invited me," he replied gruffly.

"Ok." She turned her attention to the students assembled before her. "I'm the target, Logan's my defense, whoever gets to me first gets to sit out the next simulation. Go!"

Fifteen minutes later, Rogue stood untouched while the students around her were gasping for breath, leaning on each other for support. "I guess nobody gets to sit out. Take a breather." The students slowly dispersed.

"I feel a little sorry for them," she said to Logan. "I remember all too well being on the receiving end of your training sessions."

"Yeah, I bet you've been getting soft without me around."

"Oh, yeah, big shot? Let's go."

Scott watched from the control room as Rogue led Wolverine a merry dance around the room. At first, Wolverine held back, not wanting Rogue to embarrass herself or get hurt, but as they got going, he found that he had to work, hard. Finally, Rogue spotted an opportunity and brought Wolverine to the ground. She pinned him down under a thick block of ice for good measure. "Any questions?" she asked, standing over him.

"Enjoy it while it lasts, kid," Logan grumbled. "If I were in shape…"

"Yeah, yeah. Come and talk to me when you're back in shape," Rogue said. She melted the ice pinning Logan down. As the students wandered back in, she instructed, "Kids, partner up."

Logan stood, brushing drops of water off his face. "Guess you don't need me down here, after all."

"We always need you, Logan."

Logan frowned, struggling to ignore the sense of guilt Rogue's words had stirred up. He shifted his attention to the students to assess their skills. He was surprised by how well they were doing. "There's a lot of kids there," he remarked.

"Yeah. We've made some changes since the raid. All the students spend time down here now."

Logan and Rogue continued to watch in silence. "Where's Cyke?" Logan asked, suddenly. "He's the reason I came down here in the first place."

"Control room," Rogue answered. Logan craned his neck and saw Scott sitting at the bank of controls. Crap, the Boy Scout saw that.

The lights flickered. The students broke off and headed back to the locker rooms. "Suppertime," Rogue explained. "Be prepared. You've got some people to meet. You really can't put it off any longer."

Logan grimaced.

Logan sat uncomfortably at the staff table. Rogue slid into the seat next to him. "I'll protect you," she whispered. Once the others had all taken their seats, Rogue said, "All right, introductions." She pointed to Logan. "This is Wolverine, but we usually call him Logan. Logan, this is Emma Frost, Remy LeBeau, and Moira McTaggert."

The Professor then communicated telepathically with the new staff. I'm sure you would all like to bombard Logan with questions, but please control yourselves. I'd suggest you just accept his presence and move on.

Logan spent the rest of the meal in silence, keenly observing the people around him. He began with the students. There were many new faces while a few old ones were missing. College, he figured. He then began studying the others at the staff table. The Professor looked much the same, as did Hank and Ororo, despite her new haircut. He quickly passed over the new guys, plenty of time for them later. He couldn't really see Scott, who was sitting on the other side of Rogue, but from what he'd seen of him earlier, he looked completely different from when he'd last seen him. Now he looked…happy. Finally, Logan took a few moments to analyze Rogue. She seemed different, too. It wasn't just that she was showing skin, not a lot by anyone's standards, but more than she ever had before. It was the way she acted. His eye was caught by a glint, a diamond ring on Rogue's left hand. That was new. Bobby? No, that doesn't feel right. Right at that moment, Rogue glanced over and caught Logan's intense expression. She tapped him on the shoulder. "You all right?" she asked.

"Mm. Fine. Just thinking," he said. Now that his concentration had been broken, he picked up on the conversation around him. It seemed everyone was getting excited about…a wedding. Rogue's wedding. Rogue and Scott's wedding.

Rogue caught the expression on Logan's face as he worked out what was going and she smiled inwardly.

Later that night, Logan was sitting out on the patio, sipping his soda, which was a poor substitute for beer. He saw Rogue walking by. "Hey, kid," he called to her.

"Logan, you gotta stop calling me that," she said.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" he asked, ignoring her flippant manner.

"Logan, I've essentially got three fathers in my head. Trust me, I know what I'm doing."

He nodded. "Ok." He paused a second, then couldn't help but ask, "Three fathers?"

Rogue nodded. "You, the Professor, and Magneto."

Logan quirked an eyebrow at her. "Magneto?" he asked incredulously.

"I know, it sounds crazy, but he's not all bad."

"Right, he just almost killed you and plots the death of humanity whenever he gets the chance."

"It's not that simple to define good people and bad people, Logan." She sighed. "I don't really think I can explain it. It took me quite awhile to understand. It's pretty funny when he upsets you though." She laughed. "Goodnight, Logan."

"Goodnight." Logan finished off his soda. Scott poked his head out of the French doors. "Logan, have you seen Rogue?"

"She was just heading inside."

"Thanks." Scott was just pulling his head back in when Logan spoke again.

"You'd better not hurt her."

Scott frowned. "You're one to talk."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Scott stepped outside, closing the doors behind him. "You abandoned her, Logan. You hurt her. But I suppose in a twisted way that also means I should thank you. If you hadn't left, she wouldn't have been angry, and she wouldn't have yelled at me and I might still be a zombie, and we wouldn't be together." Scott took a deep breath. "Goodnight, Logan," he said with finality and went back inside.


	5. Chapter 5

Rogue and Scott were once again curled up on their swing. "How do you feel, Mrs. Summers?" Scott whispered in her ear.

Rogue's only reply was to turn around and kiss him. She leaned back against him and sighed a happy sigh, which was followed by an enormous yawn.

"All right, that's it," Scott said. "Bed time, young lady."

She playfully swatted him. "I can't argue though. I'm so tired."

"Come on," Scott said, taking her by the hand. "I can't wait to see how our room turned out." Rather than using the room Scott had shared with Jean, they had chosen a new one and Kitty and Ororo had commandeered the job of decorating it, keeping them both away. "I'm so glad Kitty likes this sort of thing," Rogue had said to Scott one day. "I'd be completely overwhelmed. Kitty was furious when she found out we were only doing a civil ceremony and she wouldn't get to be a proper bridesmaid. Letting her plan the reception and decorate the room made up for it, though."

Scott had laughed. "Just so long as you're happy with the way things work out, I'll be happy, too."

Scott opened the door to their room just a tiny bit. "What are you doing?" Rogue asked. Scott didn't say anything, he just scooped Rogue into his arms and carried her inside.

* * *

Rogue was once again awakened by Scott's thrashing. She gently shook him awake. "Scott! Scott, wake up."

He shot up, panting. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself. "They're getting worse."

Rogue smiled gently. "At least you don't stab me through the chest when I wake you up from a nightmare."

As they laid back down, Rogue frowned with worry. Not only were Scott's nightmares getting worse, they were becoming more frequent.

Early the next morning, Rogue went down to see Hank.

"Good morning, Rogue. What can I do for you?"

"It's Scott. He's been having nightmares. He hasn't gotten a full night's sleep in a week."

"Hmm." Hank walked over to the locked cabinet where the medicines were kept and pulled out a bottle. "These are pretty strong, so use them sparingly, alright?"

"Thank you, Hank."

"You're welcome, my dear."

After visiting Hank, Rogue went to the kitchen. She sat at the small table, her chin resting on her hand as she half dozed over her cup of coffee. She stirred slightly as she heard someone approach.

"Mornin', kid," Logan said.

"Mmm," she replied.

"It ain't like you to be up so early but still asleep."

"It's Scott. He's been having nightmares and they're getting really bad. He can't sleep the whole night anymore. So obviously I can't either."

Logan made a thoughtful face. "I've been having nightmares, too." Rogue gave him a look. "I know, that's not unusual for me, but these are different. They're not about my past. I can't remember them once I wake up, but they leave me feeling like something bad is going to happen."

Rogue looked at him in surprise. "That's what Scott says."

* * *

"Something weird is going on, Professor." Rogue sat across from Charles in his office. "Scott's been having nightmares for awhile, and lately he hasn't been able to sleep at all. I mentioned it to Logan and he said he's been having unusual nightmares too. Now I'm starting to have them."

"I've felt a bit off myself," Charles said. "I can't pinpoint the cause. It's most unusual."

"Could it be Magneto?" Rogue asked.

"I suppose anything's possible," Charles said slowly, "but I don't think Erik has the means to do something like this. Nor do I see how this would work to his advantage. I think we shall just have to wait and see."

Rogue sighed. "I knew you were going to say that."

* * *

Rogue, only the tiniest bit awake, heard a door close, followed by the sound of a motorcycle taking off. Logan must be running again, she thought to herself. As she settled back into the queen size bed, she felt only empty space next to her, and she realized that it wasn't Logan who had just taken off. It was Scott.

She quickly got up and got dressed. She fumbled down the dark hallway, bumping into tables and doors. As she reached the stairs, a door creaked open. "What are you doing, kid?"

"Scott. He just took off." Rogue pressed her fingers to her temples. "I've just got this feeling something is going to happen to him. I have to go after him."

"You're not going alone," Logan said.

"I can take care of myself," she objected.

"I know. But I'm coming anyway." He disappeared into his room for just a moment and then came back out, pulling on his beat-up leather jacket. He followed Rogue down the stairs and out to the garage. "He took my bike," Logan growled.

"Logan, you've got more than one."

"Still." He snarled in frustration. "We'll take this one," he said, pointing to another bike. Rogue grabbed a helmet and jumped on the back.

They rode for hours. Rogue channeled the Professor's power, trying to locate Scott but had no luck. Finally, she gave in and contacted the Professor himself. Professor, Scott's gone. Logan and I are trying to follow him, but we don't really know where we're going. Can you find him?

I'll try. I'll let you know what I find out.

Rogue was impressed that Charles could be so coherent after being woken up so early. Personally, she was never responsible for what she said until after at least one cup of coffee.

Rogue jerked awake as Charles contacted her. She could sense his unease even through the telepathic connection. I don't know why, but it appears Scott is heading for Alkali Lake.

Thanks.

I'll be watching, he said. Take care.

Rogue tapped Logan. "Alkali Lake," she said over the roar of the wind.

Logan's only response was to speed up.

Rogue's sense of misgiving grew as they neared Alkali Lake. It was amplified by the unusually dense fog that they were driving into. Though the temperature was warm, Rogue shivered. She felt like someone was watching her and that someone wasn't friendly.

Logan finally slowed. He turned off into a clearing and parked. Rogue hopped off the bike, shaking her hair free of the helmet. Logan headed off toward the lake and Rogue caught up wordlessly. She tried to access Charles' telepathy but found it unusually difficult; it was almost as if another telepath was trying to block her. Rogue was startled by Logan grabbing her arm. He pointed off in the distance and Rogue could just barely distinguish two figures through the fog. She looked questioningly at Logan, who nodded back at her. They began creeping forward.

Once they had a clear visual, Logan signaled Rogue to stop. She crept up next to him and they both laid on the ground, eyes glued on the two figures.

One of the figures was Scott. He was standing but he didn't seem alert. It almost seemed that some kind of force was propping him up. The other figure had her back to them. She had waist-length fire red hair that was swaying as if blown by a gentle breeze, but there was no wind. Her hands were unnaturally pale. Slowly she turned, allowing Logan and Rogue to see her profile.

Jean.

Logan almost leapt forward, but Rogue restrained him with a fierce grip. Not yet, she mouthed at him. He hung his head, acknowledging she was right. Rogue scouted the terrain with her eyes. There was a lot of open ground between them and Jean. Logan was analyzing as well. Neither of them could come up with a good approach. Just then, Rogue saw Jean step closer to Scott and raise her hand to stroke his cheek. That was it. Rogue jumped up and barreled toward Jean.

"Rogue!" Logan yelled, uselessly.

Jean turned toward Rogue. A cruel smile formed on her lips as her hair began to whip around her. Veins showed through her pale skin and her black eyes glittered. Forgetting Scott, she walked toward Rogue, creating a whirlwind around her that carried rocks, branches, anything not anchored to the ground.

Logan circled around behind Jean to reach Scott, who'd collapsed. Logan gave him a quick examination and he seemed uninjured. Logan remained crouched next to him, watching Jean and Rogue. He shuddered as Rogue's skin was peeled off by the force of the wind. He sighed with relief as she activated Colossus' power. She forced herself closer and closer to Jean. Jean began retreating, backing up ever so slightly, but Rogue sensed it and sped up her approach. Finally standing face to face, Rogue saw the tiniest glint of fear in Jean's black eyes. For just an instant, Jean's eyes became hazel again and Rogue heard her plead, "Kill me." Then she was gone. Rogue retracted the metal coating from one hand and grabbed Jean's hand. Jean screamed in rage and levitated herself, dragging Rogue up with her in an attempt to escape, but she was quickly losing her power. Rogue held on, longer than she'd ever held onto someone before. Finally, she let go and both she and Jean dropped to the ground. Logan dashed over, checking Rogue's vitals and then Jean's. Amazingly, they were both alive.

Chuck, we need the jet!

Storm's already on her way, Charles replied.

Scott began stirring. Logan hurried over to him. "Easy, Cyke, take it slow," he said as Scott attempted to sit up.

"Logan? What's going on? Where are we?" Scott looked around in confusion. He saw Rogue lying in a heap and scrambled over to her. "Marie!" he called frantically.

"Scott," she whispered, her eyes still closed.

"Are you alright?"

"I don't really know yet." Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up. Scott stared down at her in alarm. Her beautiful brown eyes were completely black. Slowly, she reached up and pulled off Scott's glasses. "No!" he cried, squeezing his eyes shut with all his might.

"You can't hurt me," she whispered. "Look at me."

"No," Scott said again. He felt his eyelids being opened. He was about to try to cover them when he realized nothing was happening. He looked straight into Rogue's eyes.

She smiled. "You have beautiful eyes, Scott." She replaced his glasses, closed her eyes, and collapsed against him.

"Marie!" he cried again.

She'll be alright, Scott, said a voice in his head. It was Rogue's voice, but it spoke like the Professor. Just before she lost consciousness, she let me out, the voice explained. It's the best thing she could have done in this situation. The jet will be arriving soon. Remain calm.

Soon, Logan and Scott heard the whine of jet engines above them. Storm landed smoothly a short distance away and lowered the ramp. Logan and Scott carried Jean and Rogue, respectively, straight to the long benches behind the normal passenger seats. As soon as they were settled, Storm took off.

Once they landed back at the mansion, they headed straight for the medlab. Hank quickly looked over Scott, pronounced him uninjured, and turned his attention to Jean. She also had no apparent physical injuries, so he turned her over to the students who served as his assistants. Finally, he examined Rogue. Her right hand was burned, but other than that, she appeared fine.

"Charles, you're going to have your hands full," he said, turning his head as Charles entered. "Whatever is going on here is purely mental. There's nothing for me to do but keep them hydrated and nourished."

"Thank you, Hank." Charles glanced at Scott, who was sitting next to Rogue's bed, clasping her uninjured hand in both of his. He then looked at Logan, who was next to Jean's bed, staring at her face with unseeing eyes. Charles felt the unusual sensation of tears forming. A few managed to slip out before he regained his composure. He approached Logan. "Logan," he said quietly, "I would appreciate it if you would leave for a little while." Logan was throwing daggers with his eyes, but Charles continued. "She'll still be here when I'm finished, I promise." Logan let out a slight snarl, but slowly stood up and walked out. Charles wheeled over to Scott. "I'm afraid I have to ask you to leave as well. You can come back the moment I'm through." Scott nodded and squeezed Rogue's hand.

Charles returned to Jean. He took a deep breath and entered her mind. It took him only a few minutes to determine that Jean would be alright. He went over to Rogue. He feared things would be more difficult with her.

Rogue's mind was filled with rooms. He avoided those, not wanting another personality to take the chance to escape and try to take complete control of Rogue's mind. As he continued, he observed that Rogue's mind was filled with a fiery orange that hung almost like a mist. Charles searched through her mind until he located the source. It was a fiery bird, a phoenix, in fact. It was barely restrained by the Charles of Rogue's mind. Sensing the real Charles' presence, the Phoenix renewed its struggle, knowing that its very existence depending on winning.

Logan and Scott paced outside the medlab. Both had lost track of time. "Logan," Scott said eventually. "I, uh, just, thank you."

Logan took a step closer and laid a reassuring hand on Scott's shoulder. He left it there for a moment, then began pacing again.

Scott smiled inside. Logan did have feelings, after all.

The Professor finally emerged, looking exhausted. He held up a hand as Scott and Logan raced toward him. "Hank is moving them to recovery rooms. Once they are settled, you can go in. Now, if you'll excuse me." He didn't stay to hear anymore questions.

* * *

**Author's Note: Almost done! I'm afraid the next chapter is going to be very short.**


	6. Chapter 6

Jean woke up completely confused. _Where am I? Where is Scott?_

Logan was awakened from his light sleep by her movement. "Jean?"

She swung her gaze over to him. "Logan? What are you doing here? What am I doing here? Where is here?"

"You're in the medlab at the mansion. What's the last thing you remember?"

Jean struggled to concentrate. "We were at Alkali Lake. The jet wouldn't start." She took a deep breath. "I went outside and I lifted the it. Once I knew that you were all safe, I just let go."

"That's good." He smiled down at her. "Chuck's gonna come in and talk to you for awhile, ok?"

"Of course."

Logan stepped outside and met Charles. "She's all yours."

"Jean," Charles said as he entered the room. "It's so good to see you."

"Professor," she smiled.

"You have questions. Let me explain what happened, and then you can ask whatever you need to."

"All right," she said, nodding assent.

"For a long time, and I'm not entirely sure how, an entity called The Phoenix was inhabiting your mind. The exposure to Magneto's machine strengthened it until you could no longer control it. I believe that's why you sacrificed yourself at Alkali Lake, your subconscious knew something dangerous was just waiting to break out. And, eventually, it did. It's unfortunate that you wound up in a confrontation with Rogue, but all things considered, it could have been much worse."

"Is Rogue all right?"

"Yes, she's fine. And the Phoenix is no more." Charles fell silent, reliving for a moment the mental battle he'd waged with the Phoenix, but he soon shook it off. "I thought you might like to see Scott for a few minutes."

"Sure," she said, a little nervous. The Professor left and soon Scott came in.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey."

"I'm glad you're back. We all missed you."

There was a long pause. Finally, Jean spoke. "It's not the same between us, is it?"

"No," he said reluctantly. "But I still care about you, Jean."

"To me, it feels like hours since I last saw you. But obviously things have changed." She pointedly glanced at Scott's wedding ring. "I'm glad you were able to find someone else."

"Thanks," he said. "It wasn't easy, moving on. I was a mess until Rogue told me I was being a coward." He made a face. "That didn't sit well with the old ego. After that, I started coming back, and once that happened, it was just so natural between us." He trailed off, realizing this was probably not what Jean need to hear at the moment. He squeezed her hand. "Welcome home."

After Scott had left, Logan popped his head back in. He'd been lurking in the corridor, eager for Scott to leave. "Do you need anything?"

"No, thank you, Logan. I'd really just like to be alone for a little while."

"Ok. Good night."

"Good night," she said softly, smiling at him._ His feelings haven't changed at least._

Scott had gone next door into Rogue's room. She appeared to be asleep, so he just stood next to the bed, watching her.

"Scott, it's weird that you're just standing there staring at me," she said, not opening her eyes.

"How'd you know it was me?" he said in surprise.

She sat up and rolled her eyes at him. "Hm, let's see, I have Logan's enhanced senses, the Professor's telepathy, and a brain. Nobody else stands still when they come in here. They're either busy doing something or shifting uncomfortably because they don't know what to do or say."

"Impressive deductive reasoning."

"I'm not just a pretty face with superpowers. I'm also smart."

"Yes, you are," he agreed.

Rogue hopped off the bed, fully dressed in her normal clothes, not the usual medlab garb. "Where do you think you're going? Hank hasn't cleared you to leave yet."

Rogue closed her eyes briefly and waved her hand dismissively. A few moments later, Hank appeared in the doorway. "Good news, Rogue, you're free to go. And don't let me catch you down here again," he said affectionately.

"You got it," she quipped. As Hank left, Scott eyed her suspiciously. "Did you make him do that?"

Rogue just grinned. "You'll never know." She took a moment to stretch, relishing the freedom of movement without tubes and I.V.s once again. She slowly turned back toward Scott. "Why, Scott," she said, in mock surprise, "how can you think such a thing with your poor wife just getting out of the hospital?"

"You read my mind, huh? Then you know exactly how I can think about something like that."

"Yeah, I do," she grinned. "Let's go," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him out the door.

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, we've reached the end, folks. Hope you enjoyed it and thank you for taking the time to read this!**


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